Tag Archives: The Silent Preacher

These Dry Bones

 Ezekiel 37: 9-14

(9)Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. (10) So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. (11) Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. (12) Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. (13) And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, (14) And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD (KJV).

Ezekiel received clear instructions from God. In the Hebrew language the word used for wind is ruach (roo ach), which can mean wind, breath, spirit, or the third person of the Trinity the Holy Spirit. When Ezekiel spoke the living Word of God, the breath from God entered the dead bodies and they lived and stood to their feet, renewed and regenerated.

God explains the meaning of the vision. The dead dry bones represent the whole Jewish nation, both Israel and Judah, a divided nation and a dead nation. The Jewish nation was represented by the dry bones on a battlefield. Israel’s situation seemed hopeless, but “with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26). The children of Israel will come together, but the nation will not have spiritual life until they see their Messiah, believe on Him, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The nation will be born again “in a day”. Isaiah 66:7-9 “Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God” (KJV).

Application

This vision is for any individual or ministry that is in need of new life from God. Too often God’s people are like that standing army, life-like but not alive. Where does true life come from? Life comes from the Holy Spirit and proclaiming the Word of God. Charles Spurgeon stated that “Decayed churches can most certainly be revived by the preaching of the Word, accompanied by the coming of the heavenly breath from the four winds”1.

The vision of the valley of dry bones gave hope to the nation of Israel. Hope that they would live again, but also any lost soul can live by God’s grace and power. What a great visual representation we have to remind us that we are surrounded by people who are just like these dry bones, whether they are lost or those in the ministry that need to be lifted up, supported, prayed for, and helped in order the bring life back into those dry bones. Remember the renewing of these old dry bones is possible.

In Christ,

The Silent Preacher

1 Wiersbe, Warren W. Be Reverent: Bowing before Our Awesome God : OT Commentary, Ezekiel. 2nd ed. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2010. Print.

Blurred Vision

 Genesis 27:1-4 “And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I. And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death: Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison; And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die” (KJV).

A great beginning will not always produce a great ending. This is a lesson taught throughout the Scriptures. Isaac was a man blessed greatly by the Lord, he had an excellent beginning, yet near the end of his life he was living under a dim cloud.

Sins that he committed that clouded his judgment:

  1. He put himself ahead of the Lord. Isaac was sure the he was going to die soon, yet his greatest desire was to enjoy a good meal. A meal cooked by his favorite son and chef. Remember that when Isaac’s father Abraham was preparing for his death, his only concern was to find a bride for his son and fulfill the covenant promise.
  2. He disobeyed God’s command. Before the boys Esau and Jacob were born, God had told Isaac and Rebekah that Jacob, the youngest son, was to receive the covenant blessing; yet Isaac planned to give the blessing to Esau.
  3. He lived by his feelings. Isaac was blind and apparently bedfast. His condition should have made him rely and trust on God and seek His help. Instead, Isaac rejected the way of faith and depended on his own senses; taste, touch, hearing, and smell. Proverbs 19:21 “There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand”.

Reflection

God has His purpose and plan for each life. It is our responsibility to accept that purpose and plan. Often times the end of life reveals the life… P. T. Barnum’s last words were “How were the receipts today at Madison Square Garden”. [1] Napoleon cried out on his death bed “Army! Head of the army”1 Isaac, the man who meditated and prayed in the fields at evening and who petitioned God on behalf of his wife, wanted only one thing; a savory meal of venison.

Today we live in a society that tells us to take the easy road. Have you ever confided in someone when you were going through a difficult time or simply needed some encouragement, think back to the advice they gave you. More often than not, they simply told you to do something different or take the easy way out. Now, that is not always the case and I do not want anyone to ignore the advice of a friend. Fellowship is a gift God blessed us with, a gift that allows us to walk with someone during the highs and lows of life.

Problems may arise when we take our eyes off the Lord, let others influence us, and get off track from what the Lord called us to do. My point is simple, ensure the advice you are taking is in accordance with the Lord’s will. The easy road may not be the road He intended for us. You can’t climb to the mountain top without first preparing for the trip…which is done in the valley.

In Christ,

The Silent Preacher

 

[1] “Brain Candy Celebrity Quotes.” Dying Words of Famous People. Web. 6 Nov. 2014. <http://www.corsinet.com/braincandy/dying.html&gt;.

Lesson in Life

    Learning a Lesson in Life…

Psalm 90:10-12 “Who knoweth the power of thine anger? Even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (KJV).

One of the many points that a preacher will make from the pulpit is the warning that we may not be here tomorrow. Warning us to make sure we take full advantage of our time on this earth. Our days are numbered and we can all agree that no one knows the exact time of our departure.

Here the psalmist is reminding us that our time in life is limited, regardless of how healthy we are. With the advancement of modern medicine, we are still not living that much longer than we did years ago. Sin takes its toll on the human race, and we no longer see the long lifespans recorded in Genesis.

Sin may be an ugly word for some Christians to ponder; we may shy away from admitting our own sins. But why, I ask? The word sin reminds me of God’s wrath, not something I would like to see or be part of. We don’t like to think about the wrath of God, but every obituary in the newspaper is a reminder that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).

Reflection

Time is a gift and a blessing given to us by our Father. We are responsible for our own time. We have been given full power over the management of it in our lives. If we are honest and take a moment to look back over the last week or our lives; ask this question “Have I given enough time to the Lord”? I can admit that I have not!

I go back to asking myself the same simple question to my own response “Why”. I forgot to empty myself of all that I am; prepared myself to be the lump of clay that the Lord needs in order to mold me. Time is sacred and we should manage it as faithful stewards. Take the time today and ask the Lord for wisdom so we may become better stewards of our time and opportunities.

My Prayer

Lord, forgive me where I have failed you. Cleanse me of all that I am, all those things that occupy my time and keep me from focusing on you. Fill me with all that you are and use me as you desire for my life. Bless those that have taken the time out of their busy schedule to read this post. Speak to their hearts as you have spoken to mine. Lead us to victory over our sin and turn us again unto your righteousness. Thank you Lord for all that you do in my life, thank you for each blessing and gift that you have delivered into my life. Amen!

In Christ,

The Silent Preacher

Dreams and Goals

C.S. Lewis You are never too old I have seen many people get “stuck” in the mundane routines of everyday life. In fact, I have been there many times before. As I read C.S. Lewis’ quote “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream”, I was reminded of an inspiring verse, (which usually happens because my analytical brain asks the “why and how” questions). Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (KJV).

A new dream, goal, or inspiring moment may come from taken some time to sit quietly with the Lord; listening and allowing Him to renew your mind.

In the previous verse Paul sets the stage for a method of change. We are to present our bodies as living sacrifices unto Him. The first question that came to my mind as I read this verse was “what kind of sacrifice and what is acceptable and holy”? 1 Cor. 6:19-20 “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s”.

In order for us to present ourselves to the Lord we must be ready for change. Ever have a hard time falling asleep because you have a million thoughts racing through your mind? Well, the same holds true when we try to listen to the Lord. “But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand” (Isa. 64:8).

Reflection:

We all get stuck at times and most of us would admit that we enjoy dreaming or set new goals. Find some quiet time to clear your mind. Before delving into your daily devotional routine, empty your mind. Think of yourself as a block of clay and allow the Lord to mold you into the beautiful creation he has designed you to be. In order to renew our minds we have to empty out the things this world. Otherwise our sacrifice will be spotted and blemished. Don’t we owe it to the Lord to give him our very best? He gave his very best for each of us…with grace and mercy…his only beloved Son!

In Christ,

Silent Preacher